Health Promoting Behaviors Of Women Research Articles

Relationship of Health Literacy and Social Support with Health-Promoting Behaviors in Women with Breast Cancer: Mediating Role of Cancer Self-Efficacy

Background: Women diagnosed with breast cancer experience high levels of psychological disorders ranging from depression, anxiety, maladjustment to the disease, and decreased self-confidence to different emotional disturbances and fears of recurrence and mortality. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of cancer self-efficacy in the relationship between health literacy and social support with health-promoting behaviors in women with breast cancer.
 Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study, the convenience sampling method was employed to select 282 women diagnosed with breast cancer in Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province (Iran) in 2021. The participants were asked to answer the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II), Iranian Health Literacy Questionnaire, Social Support Survey, and Cancer Behavior Inventory. Path analysis was adopted to analyze data in AMOS software.
 Results: The results revealed there was a significant relationship between perceived social support with health-promoting behaviors (P=0.004) and cancer self-efficacy (P=0.001) in women with breast cancer. There was a significant relationship between health literacy and cancer self-efficacy in women. According to the results, the mediating role of cancer self-efficacy in the relationship between perceived social support and health literacy with health-promoting behaviors was found to be significant in women with breast cancer (P=0.001).
 Conclusion: Accordingly, the research model had a desirable fit. The findings of this research showed the effective role of cancer self-efficacy in the outcome of social support and health literacy to increase health-promoting behaviors in women with breast cancer.

Comparison of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy andCompassion-Focused Therapy on Quality of Life and Health-Promoting Behaviors of Mothers with Gestational Diabetes

Introduction:Gestational diabetes is the most common metabolic complication of pregnancy, affecting 10%-15% of all pregnancies, depending on diagnostic criteria. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of acceptance and commitmenttherapy and compassion-focused therapy on the quality of life and health-promoting behaviors of mothers with gestational diabetes.Method:The research method was a quasi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. The statistical population of this study was all pregnant women referred to Milad Hospital in Tehran in 2019.45participantswere randomly selected and placed in three groups of acceptance and commitment therapy, compassion-focused therapy, and control group.The follow-up phase was performed on all three groups three months after the post-test. The research tools included the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale and the Walker Health-Promoting Lifestyle Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate covariance analysis by spss.22. Result:The results showed that acceptance and commitment therapy and compassion-focused therapy had a significant effect on improving the quality of life and health-promoting behaviors in women with gestational diabetes (P<0.001).Conclusion:It can be concluded that acceptance and commitment therapy has a greater impact on the quality of life and health-promoting behaviors of women with gestational diabetes than compassion-focused therapy. It encourages individuals to communicate their experiences fully and without resistance as they move towardstheir worthy goals and to accept them without judgment. Declaration of Interest: None

The Effect of an Empowerment Program on the Health-promoting Behaviors of Iranian Women Workers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

ObjectivesThe workplace is an ideal place for encouraging health-promoting behaviors. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of an empowerment program on the health-promoting behaviors of women workers.MethodsThis randomized clinical trial was conducted with 80 women workers employed at a food packaging facility in 2020. The subjects were selected using convenience sampling and were classified into intervention and control groups using block randomization. An empowerment program for women workers was conducted across 6 sessions based on an empowerment model. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II, which participants completed both before the program and 8 weeks after the last session. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16 using descriptive analysis and inferential statistics.ResultsThere were no significant differences between the 2 groups in various health-promoting behaviors before the program. However, the intervention group’s scores for nutrition (34.92±1.09 vs. 27.87±4.23), physical activity (24.40±2.94 vs. 17.40±5.03), stress management (26.35±2.60 vs. 23.05±4.27), spiritual growth (34.02±3.00 vs. 30.22±5.40), interpersonal relationships (30.82±2.38 vs. 27.60±4.61), and health responsibility (31.60±2.71 vs. 28.22±4.59) were significantly higher than the control group’s 8 weeks after the program had ended. Moreover, there was a significant difference in the total score of health-promoting behaviors for the intervention group compared to the control group (179.00±9.22 vs. 151.42±20.25, p=0.001).ConclusionsAn empowerment program for women workers led to significant improvements in the health-promoting behaviors of the participants. Similar programs can ultimately improve women’s health in the workplace.

Health-promoting behaviors in women in Fasa city

Health-promoting behaviors in women in Fasa city

Correlation between inner strength and health-promoting behaviors in women with heart failure.

IntroductionInner strength is a factor for mental health and well-being and, consequently, a dynamic component of holistic healing. Health-promoting behaviors are appropriate activities to improve health status and prevent the progression of the functional defect resulting from heart failure. The present study aimed to determine the correlation between inner strength and health-promoting behaviors in women with heart failure referred to hospitals affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU) in 2013.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 145 women with hearth failure were selected through convenient sampling from the clients referred to hospitals affiliated with SBMU. The data collection tool included a three-section questionnaire of personal characteristics, inner strength, and health-promoting life profile II (HPLP II). The data analysis used descriptive statistical tests and Pearson correlation coefficient through SPSS version 20.ResultsA direct significant correlation was found between inner strength and all dimensions of health-promoting behaviors and overall health-promoting behaviors (p=0.000) as well as between all dimensions of inner strength (except for the dimension of knowing and searching with physical activity and the dimension of connectedness with personal accountability in healthcare as well as connectedness with physical activity) with health-promoting behaviors (p=0.000 to p=0008).ConclusionTo improve the level of health and well-being and reduce the costs of care services in women with health failure, close attention should be paid to developing and empowering their inner strength.

The Effect of Intervention Based on Pender’s Model of Health-Promoting Self-Care Behaviors in Women who are the Head of their Household

Background: A number of studies have reported that women as the head of the household suffer from poor physical health. Yet, a few studies are available on the effects of health-promoting interventions for this vulnerable group. Objectives: The present study was conducted to determine the effect of an intervention based on Pender’s model on health-promoting behaviors in women who were the head of their household. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted on 66 women, who were the heads of households with inappropriate physical health-promoting behaviors, selected by the consensus method and allocated to intervention and control groups using the randomized permuted block method. The intervention group received supportive-educational intervention according to Pender’s model. Posttest was carried out for both intervention and control groups two months after the end of the intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential tests, including independent samples t, paired t, Chi-square, Mantel-Haenszel tests and logistic regression analysis. Results: The subjects’ mean age was 39.58 ± 6.69 years, of whom, 47% were widowed; they were mostly housewives with a mean schooling of 7.97 ± 4.31 years, and 74.2% had insufficient income. Prior to the intervention, women who were the head of the household and had poor level of health-promoting behaviors were selected. There was no significant difference between the two groups in mean score of the components of the health-promoting model (P < 0.05). The intervention group had significantly better performance in physical health-promoting behaviors, two months after the intervention (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The supportive-educational intervention was effective on the physical health-promoting behaviors of women who were the head of the household. Thus, this model can be used as a framework for planning interventions to promote the physical health of such women.

Effect of preconception counseling on health promoting behaviors of reproductive age women in Sari city

Background and Purpose: Prenatal health behaviors encompass different health-promoting behaviors in women of reproductive age, which improve physical and mental health, as well as pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of prenatal training on the health-promoting behaviors of the women of reproductive age. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 104 women of reproductive age in Sari city located in Mazandaran, Iran. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control. Inclusion criteria were willingness to have children, age range of 18-40 years, and overall physical and mental health. Data were collected using sociodemographic questionnaires and standard health promoting lifestyle (HPLP-II) questionnaire. In the intervention group, training was performed in four sessions (45-60 minutes) at one-week intervals focusing on health responsibility, physical activity and stress management. One month after the intervention, data analysis was performed using independent T-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Chisquare test, and mean, frequency, and standard deviation. Results: After prenatal training, total score of health-promoting behaviors had a significant difference in the intervention and control group (151.60±17.503 vs. 139.42±19.596) (P=0.002). Mean score of health responsibility (27.75±4.066), physical activity (21.10±3.211) and stress management (23.19±3.036) were higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (23.90±5.032, 16.84±4.017 and 19.66±3.330, respectively), and the study groups had a statistically significant dif ference in this regard (P<0.001). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, prenatal training could enhance health-promoting behaviors in women of reproductive age. Therefore, it is recommended that consultation and training sessions be considered during prenatal care.

A population-based study of health-promoting behaviors and their predictors in Iranian women of reproductive age

Health-promoting behaviors have been recognized as major factors for maintenance and improvement of health. The objective of this study was to determine the status of health-promoting behaviors and their predicting factors in Iranian women of reproductive age. This was a population-based cross-sectional study in which 1359 Iranian women of reproductive age were selected by proportional random multistage cluster sampling in Tehran. Questionnaires including sociodemographic characteristics, Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II) and Personal Resource Questionnaire 85-Part 2 (PRQ85-Part 2) were completed by interview. The association between the dependent variables (HPLP-II and subscales) and the independent variables (social support and sociodemographic characteristics) was analyzed using the multivariable linear regression model. Among the six dimensions of health-promoting behaviors, women scored highest in interpersonal relations (3.08 ± 0.51) and lowest in physical activity (2.04 ± 0.64). The Pearson test indicated perceived social support to be significantly correlated with HPLP-II (r = 0.53; p < 0.001) and all its subscales (r = 0.12-0.60; p < 0.001). Multivariable regression analysis indicated social support to be a predictor of HPLP-II and all its subscales, except for physical activity. Social support and sociodemographic characteristics accounted for 29.8% of the variance in the HPLP-II score and 6.9-39.3 in the six subscales. The findings of the present study confirm the importance of social support and modifiable variables (sociodemographic) in the occurrence of health-promoting behaviors in women and accredit the theoretical relationships among the concepts of the health-promotion model.

Health behaviors, body composition, and coronary heart disease risk in women with multiple sclerosis

Slawta JN, Wilcox AR, McCubbin JA, Nalle DJ, Fox SD, Anderson G. Health behaviors, body composition, and coronary heart disease risk in women with multiple sclerosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2003;84:1823–30. Objectives To explore coronary heart disease risk in a sample of women with multiple sclerosis (MS) by identifying the presence of established risk factors for coronary heart disease and to determine the relationship between disease severity and level of participation in health-related behaviors. Design Survey study. Setting Five general community settings in Oregon. Participants Women with physician-diagnosed MS (N=123) recruited from MS chapters, physician referrals, and newspaper announcements. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures Modified Yale Physical Activity Survey, Block Food Frequency Questionnaire, blood analysis, skinfolds, and waist and hip circumferences. Results The majority of women met current physical activity guidelines. The frequencies of unfavorable levels of metabolic variables and obesity were similar to those reported in the general population. Significant associations were observed between mobility and physical activity, total and abdominal fat, and several dietary habits. Conclusion Coronary heart disease risk in this sample was comparable to that of the general population of women without MS. Physical inactivity, body composition, and perhaps nutritional habits decline with decreasing mobility, emphasizing the need for families and health care providers to work together to find solutions that increase health-promoting behaviors in women with more advanced MS.